The following morning, Braedon was already stirring when we began preparing to leave. The Astorian and Eldorian envoys had departed, taking most of the soldiers with them. What remained of our camp was smaller and noticeably quieter. Horses were being saddled, supplies secured, and tents taken down before the road became busy with travellers. Beyond the town, Mount Verdura rose against the sky, its upper slopes disappearing behind a layer of white cloud.
We were leaving Braedon behind. I looked down at the armour covering my body. My uncle had made sure an Astorian set was brought for me before the envoys departed. It wasn't the heavy armour worn by knights, but it offered enough protection without making movement difficult.
The chest plate was black and white, edged with silver and marked with the Astorian royal crest—a red phoenix rising from the ashes. Matching guards protected my knees, elbows and hands, while the dark fabric beneath the armour allowed me to move without feeling as though I was carrying a metal cage around my body. My boots were reinforced as well.
I had decided against wearing a helmet. I wanted to be able to see properly, and frankly, I hated the idea of having my head trapped inside a piece of metal. I tightened the final strap and flexed my fingers. The armour felt unfamiliar. But not entirely uncomfortable. I wondered whether the original Elysia had worn something like this before. The thought disappeared when I noticed someone watching me.
Alexander stood on the other side of the camp. He wasn't doing anything in particular. He was simply standing there, his attention apparently fixed on me. Our eyes met. His expression gave nothing away.
I looked away first. And I let my mind wander. Aetheron. The name kept circling through my mind. Sooner or later, Alexander would find him. And when he did, I needed to be ready. There was one person who might be able to help.
Ariella. The Heavenly Princess.
If the stories I'd read were accurate, she wasn't merely powerful. She was connected to the natural and magical forces of this world in a way that ordinary people couldn't understand. And she knew Alexander. That last part bothered me more than it should have. Still, if I could convince her to help me, perhaps I wouldn't have to face Aetheron alone.
The idea was reckless. It was also the best one I had. A few minutes later, I found Alexander standing beside me. "Princess."
There was something about him that suddenly made me aware of the distance between us. He was the Crown Prince of Eldoria. I was a princess of Astoria. We were allies because circumstances had forced us into the same journey. Nothing more. At least, that was what I needed to remember.
"I want to meet Ariella."
His reaction was immediate. His posture changed. "What?"
"Ariella."
"I heard you." His voice had become noticeably sharper.
I watched him carefully. "I want to speak with her." Alexander stared into the fire for a moment.
"No." The answer came so quickly that I almost laughed.
"That was fast."
"Elysia—"
He stopped himself. His jaw tightened. "No. It's not happening."
I leaned forward slightly. "Why?"
"Because Ariella isn't someone you can simply approach whenever you want."
"You told me she was the Heavenly Princess."
"That doesn't mean she's available for political meetings."
"This isn't politics." I kept my voice calm. "We're trying to prevent a war between humans and magical creatures. If she's as powerful and influential as you've told me, why wouldn't she have a say in this?"
Alexander looked at me. For a moment, something flashed across his face. Fear? No. Something closer to concern. Or perhaps I was imagining it. "You don't understand what you're asking."
"Then explain it to me."
He looked away. "Ariella is complicated."
"Everyone seems to be." That earned the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth, but it disappeared almost immediately.
"She's not someone you summon because you need her help."
"I'm not asking you to summon her."
"Then what are you asking?"
"A meeting."
He shook his head. "No."
I studied him. The reaction was too strong. He wasn't merely refusing to involve Ariella. He was trying to keep me away from her. That made me more determined. "Alexander, think about what we're doing. We're looking for the King of Monsters because you believe killing him will protect Eldoria. I'm trying to find another way. If Ariella can help us understand what's happening between humans and magical creatures, why wouldn't we at least speak to her?"
His hands tightened around his knees. "Because she won't take kindly to being dragged into this."
"Then I'll ask her myself."
"No." The word came out harder this time.
I stared at him. "You're making this very difficult."
"Because you're refusing to listen."
"Because you're refusing to explain."
He fell silent. I could see the tension in his shoulders. There was something about Ariella that he didn't want me to touch. I didn't know what it was. But I knew enough about Alexander by now to recognise when he was avoiding an answer.
softened my voice. "Please."
His eyes returned to mine.
"If I could convince her to help us, wouldn't that make things easier?"
He didn't answer.
I continued before he could stop me. "You're the one who told me she's connected to the magical world. She's the Heavenly Princess. If anyone has a reason to care about what happens to Aetheron, it should be her." I wasn't entirely lying. That was the uncomfortable part. I genuinely wanted Ariella's help. I just wasn't planning to tell Alexander exactly why.
He rubbed a hand over his face. "This is a bad idea."
"Perhaps."
"I mean it." He stared at me for a long moment. Then he looked away. "You won't let this go, will you?"
I tried not to smile. "Probably not."
He exhaled through his nose. "Fine. I'll arrange a meeting."
Relief spread through me before I could stop it.
"But I'm coming with you."
He doesn't trust me meeting Ariella alone, obviously. There were too many things I couldn't tell him. That I knew the original story. That I knew Ariella's role. That I believed his relationship with her was nothing like what I had expected. And certainly not that I intended to use the meeting to find another way towards Aetheron.
"I think we both have reasons to be careful," I said eventually.
He was quiet. Then he nodded once. "Fair enough."
"All right." I stood. For a moment, I almost thanked him by name. Then I caught myself. "Thank you, Your Highness." The words sounded strangely formal coming from me.
Alexander stared at me. Something unreadable crossed his face. It must be awkward to suddenly become formal with each other. How had I become so comfortable around him? I had been calling him Alexander without thinking. Speaking to him casually. Arguing with him. Teasing him. As though we'd known each other for years. But we hadn't.
I'd known the fictional version of him before coming here. The real man was someone I'd met only after arriving in this world. And yet I'd been treating him like an old acquaintance. That had to stop. Especially now. I had plans he couldn't know about. I couldn't afford to let familiarity make me careless.
Soon, I will meet Ariella. And this time, I needed to remember exactly who I was dealing with.